The construction industry must always manage risk. It is in a contractor’s best interest to be proactive and mitigate as much as possible, including dealing with the potential for water damage.
The risk of damage from water leaks during the construction process is a very real threat, especially in an unoccupied building. One incident that comes to mind happened in New York City, when a water leak occurred on the 19th floor of a luxury apartment building, just weeks before completion. With nobody around on the weekend to spot the leak, water cascaded from floor to floor, all the way to the bottom. The end results? $30 million in property damage.
It didn’t stop at direct damage, either. Delays are a leading cause of construction litigation, as property owners seek to recoup lost revenue. In the case of the incident mentioned earlier, construction delays caused by the water damage ended up costing the builders $80 million in penalties.
Even with insurance, contracting firms absorb losses related to water damage. Re-work and delay costs, direct property damage, removal of debris and damaged materials all contribute to the economic burden.
Planning for and mitigating water damage can reduce these costs, mitigate risk, and prevent delays and increase contractor profitability overall. One way to prevent water damage is to install AI-enabled water management systems, which can instantly notify project managers of issues like leaks, pipe breaks and more. WINT devices can even be programmed to automatically shut water off in the event of a leak.
Case Study
Construction companies can use AI-enabled technology to protect construction sites from delays and economic damage due to water leaks. When leaders at Tidhar Construction, a billion dollar construction company, decided that the cost and delays related to water damage were an unacceptable risk, they looked for a solution that could help staff react to leaks in real time in order to minimize damage.
Tidhar deploys WINT technology on every construction site from the beginning, starting with the water mains and adding devices to completed areas as the projects progress. Since Tidhar started using WINT devices, the company has experienced no water damage events whatsoever. If problems occur, the WINT devices stop the water automatically at the source.
As a result, the company is preventing delays and cost overruns, improving company reputation and customer satisfaction.
Proactive Water Management
The benefits of proactive water management extend long after the construction process is complete. The first year after a building is finished, there is a higher probability that water damage will occur due to leaks or installation mistakes. Tidhar leaves WINT systems installed on their completed projects to protect the building during that time. The machine learning and AI built the WINT devices make them an all-in-one water management solution that reduces consumption and lowers the chances of costly water damage due to leaks.
